AN ESR STUDY OF RADICAL FORMED ON ELECTRON IRRADIATION OF MESITYLENE ADSORBED IN A MOLECULAR SIEVE

Mesitylene adsorbed in a Linde 13 X molecular sieve has been studied by E.S.R. techniques during fast electron irradiation at temperatures ranging from -45°c to + 10°c (freezing point of mesitylene: -52·7°c). A transient spectrum has been obtained which consists of a large (86·5 g) doublet splitting, plus another doublet (22·6 g), a septet (8·15 g) and a triplet (5·95 g). This spectrum has been interpreted as arising from a radical produced by hydrogen addition to a methyl position in the mesitylene molecule. Tentative calculations suggest that the 86·5 g doublet splitting is consistent with the structure assumed for the radical. A non-transient spectrum of five broad lines has also been observed but its origin has not been identified. © 1969 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.